A successful business that I have developed from all my hard work that is well known and bringing in more business than I can handle so I can expand and build it bigger. A beautiful cozy home on 300 acres of property with my beautiful wife Kaitlyn and four kids that will give me a run for my money and provide so much joy and purpose. To be blessed with the grit and tenacity to get through all the bumps along the way. The ability to provide for all my needs and wants and provide for those of my future family and hopefully grandkids. To live a long productive happy life with all my family and friends around me making memories and leaving a legacy behind that I am proud of so that one day when I am no more but a spec of dust in the ground people will remember my name.

What is quality without pride? Pride in my work, pride in myself, and pride in what I bring to the table. Pride brings quality to every aspect of my work from the first contact with a customer to the execution of the job, down to the job cleanup all the way to the final handshake of a satisfied customer. I want people to speak highly of my business and my work, including my work ethic. Quality is a job well done and a job where the outcome lasts and stands up to the elements for a long time to come. Word of mouth is the best way to grow a business and if the quality is not there, then the work will not come. I bring quality to my masonry and concrete trade in many ways. Many people make the mistake of thinking they know enough about their trade though in reality we are always learning, morphing, and advancing. I am a firm believer that you can learn even the smallest thing every day and that everyone can teach you something and there is always a way to do things better. With that said, research on reputable web-sites, learning from your peers, teachers and mentors and those who have been in the industry is a must. I bring quality by ensuring that that the products I use are highly rated and recommended and I do not take shortcuts that may end with a poorly finished job. There are processing steps that should be followed or you will run into issues. There are many technical aspects that play into a job such as the weather and the timing of the execution of the job. You don't want to waste time or money standing around so strategy and planning is important to ensure your job is executed with quality. When I bid a job, I am sincere, honest and upfront about what I can do and I bring a fair price to the table. Many people look at me and say wow you are so young, but little do they know that I have years of experience in the industry and I am currently earning a Construction Management Degree to help me advance my business. If I take pride in my work and ensure that I properly execute a job to the industry standards and to my customers standards I know that I have done a quality job.

I have many goals in life and my very first goal is to not be third in life!! I want to be first! Just kidding, but in all honesty my goal is to be the best at everything I do and that puts me first in my journey of this thing called life! I have a 10-year plan and then I have my 100-year plan. Currently, I am a third year college student and have 4 semesters left until graduation after which I plan on continuing to build my clientele for my “Baxter Concrete & Masonry” company. I have 3 crew members that work with me that help me on my jobs. I have a web-site that I just published to showcase my work. "Baxter Concrete & Masonry (baxterconcreteandmasonry.com)" which will help get my name out there; though word of mouth is always the best compliment of my work and future work that I will incur. Once my company is licensed and my business model is approved I will continue to grow my business with the goal of having 40+ licensed workers executing various jobs around the cities including residential and commercial jobs. I want to be known as the top contractor in Minneapolis, MN and one day I will make that happen. In the meantime, I will continue to work for Summit Concrete and bid jobs on the side using what I learn in class and from my elders to gain experience every day. Once this is complete I will continue my education and earn a Business degree. In addition to my passion listed above, I also have a very lovely and supportive girlfriend named Kaitlyn with whom I share my time with, and she also rolls up her sleeves and even helps me on my jobs. Part of my 10-year plan is to buy a house and propose and hopefully become the kind of father that both my parents will be proud of. I am also fond of old cars and own a Galaxy that I enjoy fixing up in my free time. I ride a Harley motorcycle and enjoy mud-bogging and four-wheeling with friends and family. I am very family oriented and if anyone needs something I will do what I can to help them out. I stay very active and busy balancing my schooling with my work, side-work, family and friends. My why is very simple. Life is short. What kind of legacy will I leave behind? What will my family and friends and my children remember of me and say of me when I am gone? Money isn't everything but hard work, dedication, determination, perseverance, honesty; we'll these are the kind of traits I want my children to one day learn from me. Life isn't always easy but it will always work out if one pushes on and I want to do and be the best I can be for myself and be that person that people are proud to know and look up to and speak fondly of. I hope eventually I am able to impact the world by donating my time to organizations that need concrete and masonry done whether that be for Habitat For Humanity or Global Vision International and by providing services at an affordable price. Thank-you for considering me as a recipient of this scholarship.

One of the biggest issues I have seen within the age group of my peers is the lack of direction, motivation, drive and work ethic to accomplish something, anything besides nothing. Many have no desire to better themselves and educate themselves whether it be in college or just general self-development such as getting a job and working hard at that job. Everything can be an opportunity if you grab it by the horns and go after it and it's quite frustrating to see the lack of motivation to do and be better and proud of oneself. I find that the lack of work ethic is a serious problem that the world is facing today and that needs to change or our older workforce will retire and no one will be there ready to replace them and their knowledge. I think that a solution to this issue would be to change the labor laws for children and allow companies to hire young teens ages 13-15. There are many youth that want to work at this age and I am a strong believer that if you start working young you develop a work ethic that is strong and the desire to do better, build a better life, support yourself and the itch to further improve yourself becomes instilled in your being and this, I believe is the way to solve the issue that we currently have in our world today.

Generosity is kindness and empathy for individuals who may need assistance. It is the giving of ones-self. Their time, their thoughts, their money. It is the practice of setting aside one's own needs and desires to help someone else. Giving someone a smile, opening a door, kind words that uplift someone and make their day. Helping with a project or giving a dish to someone who is sick. Donating your time, things, money to causes that are worth supporting that will brighten someone's day. At the end of the day, everyone can benefit from the generosity of others. It is what makes us human and humble.

When one looks at the past 100 years of life in America, times were not always easy but we as a people persevered. Americans persevered through the depression, wars, disasters and presidencies and personal tribulations. The stories of our ancestors resonate through our ears as we remember the legacies that were left behind. Our people have always managed to pull through the hard times and come together to help each other out. Today when we look at the world, our entire universe is connected via social networks. We hear of terrible things that are happening in our country and other countries. We wonder if the world will soon be ending, but it won't. One of America's tragedies was the attack of the World Trade Towers of September 11 where we lost at least 2,750 individuals. The city of New York and other surrounding cities came together to help those in need. Our police, our fire departments, our EMTs and care-givers. This is just one example of many difficult events in our history books. What gives me hope is that our American people are strong, we are diverse, we have been through tough times and blessed times but when it matters most friends, families, communities and cities always manage to come together to help each other survive and forage on. We are a resilient nation and will never stop trying to help other's when it is needed.

Kevin Bernhagen once said to me "work smarter, not harder" and that quote is one that has resonated with me on a daily basis from the minute I wake up in the morning until the minute I go to bed. He is no longer around to provide such fine advice but his words will forever be remembered by me. Each day we are given the opportunity to learn, to grow and try new things. How we do those things is... well... up for debate! There is more than one way to skin a cat or so to speak and this can be applied to everything we do all the way down to how we do dishes. One can stack glasses straight up and the inside will not dry very well, but tip them at an angle and they will dry efficiently and in record time. Tackling life's daily to-do's can be overwhelming, but the key is to prioritize your tasks and have an intention for the day and stay focused. Come up with strategies that build up your strengths and weaknesses. Learn how to be efficient with every task that comes your way. Do not procrastinate, get done what can be done. Working smarter doesn't necessarily mean it won't be hard work, but the way you tackle your work can improve your efficiency and make sure the outcome of your work is superb. This quote is special to me because it has always helped guide my intentions. It has opened my eyes and made me realize there is always a better way and the only way to discover that better way is to be observant, do my research and always be open to learning.

"Never let fear drive your future" Dive right on in to your life because it is no one's but your own to do as you please. So many times we let our fears squash our potential, our dreams, our goals, our desires. We let our fear of the unknown hold us back. We so often forget to think outside the box and go after what we could be, what we were meant to be. Each of us has it in ourselves to go after our dreams and to be successful on any path that we choose to strive forward on. We just need to look our fear in the face and say not today. If we fail that's okay, we need to get up and try again and keep trying until we are successful. Never once has anyone always been successful, but those successful people in life stand up and do not let there fears get in there way of becoming great and succeeding at their dreams one step at a time.

Don't chase the money, chase the dream. If your not happy with what you do in life then there is no purpose, no sustenance to your life. Money can come and go but when you chase your dream you have purpose. Following your dream takes dedication, hard work there are uncomfortable times, tough times, good times and yes there is money to be made as you progress towards your dreams. Money isn't everything though and it can be gone in a moment. But if you build your life up with hard work and reach your goals and dreams then you can do it over and over again. The goal in life is to work hard, grow, learn, prosper and give-back. To live a well rounded life with family and friends. Money makes things easier but if your not happy then what is the point. Chase the dream and the money will come.

I was a little hot head growing up but I was close to my grandparents. I lost my pops when I was 5 years old to cancer at the age of 40. The going joke was it was everywhere except his big toe. Pops used to take me to ToysR'US every time my siblings and I had our birthdays and we were allowed to pick out any toy we wanted. Losing pops was not hard but at 5 years old I didn't really understand death and what was going on but the one thing I did know was that he was a hard worker and worked every day on the river barges. Fast forward ahead to 9 years old and I experienced the death of my Great Grandpa Don. He passed away from cancer as well. He was an avid country singer in his band the Mustangs and we would go watch him play and enjoy his good jokes and humor. He was so proud of all his grandkids. This death was harder because all the adults were very sad, and I missed his laugh and hugs. Fast forward again, and I lost my Great Grandmother Faye at the age of 16. She was an angel and I was very close with her. We would go to her house for dinner and play Cribbage and Garbage and just enjoy our time together. We would listen as she played the organ. She passed away at the age of 96 after she broke her neck from a fall and I was there holding her hand while she took her last breath. That was hard for me to lose her. I now understood death and we were so close. Fast forward once again to 19 and I lost my Grandpa Gordy to lung cancer. He was confined to a wheel chair due to an amputation and stuck at home so I visited him often. We would talk of hunting and fishing, his machining days and guns. He loved his guns and his beautiful country, the United States of America. He was very proud of my grades and my work ethic and never failed to call me on my hotheadedness. This death was very hard as this was my mothers father and she took it pretty hard because he was so young, age 64. Losing family members to cancer was not easy but they all left a legacy of talented hard working Americans who got up every day and did what they had to do to make ends meet and put food on the table. Each grandparent supported me and my ambitions and always pushed and encouraged me to be dedicated and go after my dreams and accomplish everything I put my mind to. Today I am an accomplished Pool player with many trophies. I graduated with honors from high school with a GPA of 3.8 and am currently enrolled in Dunwoody Institute earning my Construction Management Degree so I can run my own company which I have already started. I am a very accomplished concrete & masonry worker and I owe it all to my grandparents who believed in me and taught me never to give up and to fight for what I wanted in life. I could have easily just gave up because it was hard work to get good grades, to practice pool and be an apprentice in the masonry industry but I did it and I have goals and I will keep striving after my dreams because that is what my grandparents would want for me and I am going to make them proud. May they rest in peace.

My mom has always been there for me from day one and she struggled with depression most of her life which wasn't always easy. When I was 13 she went to a Life Healing Center and it really taught her how to handle her mental health. She worked really hard and raised me and my siblings and eventually bought a house. Over the years there was a lot of work that needed to be done and this summer I was able to really help her out. I ripped out all of the bad water logged concrete in her back yard and brought in 25 cubic yards of dirt and graded the backyard and put in sod. I also formed and poured a new patio in her backyard that drained nicely and built a retaining wall around her basement window. I then poured a concrete pad on the side of her house so she had more parking available as the city wouldn't let her park on gravel. I also put up her new kitchen fan and fixed her leaky sink in the kitchen. My mom does ok but doesn't make enough to pay anyone to do this kind of work. Being able to do something for my mom and see her so happy and relaxed in her home made me feel good inside and want to do more for her. She never asks for anything and will do whatever it takes to support me and my siblings. She has a lot more work to do on the house and I will be there to help her. I am very fortunate to have a mom that was there for me through my childhood, my youth, my teen years and my young adult life. Her guidance and love has driven me to want to be better, do better and succeed beyond my wildest dreams in life. She always taught me to be creative and was always giving me tools and electronics to tinker with and figure out how they worked. When I was 7 should me to fix the plugged tub and I was successful. Currently I am in college and trying to start my own Concrete & Masonry business. She pushes me to do my best and I run with that tackling one task and one dream after another. If it wasn't for her strength and dedication, I don't know if I would be where I am today. God bless all mothers.